Conformator



(No Model.)

IE'. G. JOHNSON.

GONPURMATOE l`T,036.5.385. Patented-June 28, 1887` ulunnnnlinm www 7 v" 1 A o Q I WWITNESSES:

NA PETERS. Fheu'rlillwgraphor. Washington, D. C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEroE.

FRANK G. JOHNSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CONFORMATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 10.365,385, dated rune ze, 1387.

Application tiled March 3l). 1887. Serial No. 233,064. (No model.) I

To all whom t may 0012.067411.:

Be it known that l, FRANK G. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city ofBrooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful conformator for taking the form and size vof various parts of the human body, to facilitate the fitting thereto of various garments, especially corsets, waist-linings, jackets, 85e., of which the following` is a specification.

The object of my invention relates not alone to taking the form of any particular part `of the body, as it is applicable to the taking of the forni of the limbs even; nor is its use limited to merely taking the shape of different parts of the body, as it will not only take the form but the size as well of different parts of the human figure. Neither is it limited to taking the various vertical lines of the body, as it is equally adapted to taking the transverse forms and dimensions of the human frame; but its chief use consists Vin taking the forms and dimensions of the waist, hips, shouli ders, and breasts, or what constitutes the human bust, to thereby facilitate the cutting, shaping, and sizing therefor of tight-setting garments of various kinds, especially corsets, waist-linings, dress-waists,&e. I attain't-hese objects by the mechanism illustrated in thev accompanying drawings, in whichy j Figure 1 illustrates a vertical View of the device in its application to the bust for taking the central back and front vertical lines of the figure, together with its diameter, Fig. 2, a transverse View through the line .fr x of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an edge 4or side view; Fig. 4, a similar view of same enlarged, a portion of which is broken away to give an-interior view of some of the parts; Fig. 5, atransverse view seen on the line yy, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 shows one of the sliding or formative rods.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

. Brieliy stated, my device consists of two peculiarly-constructed parallel bars, A A, held together by two adjustable semieircular connecting cross-bars, B B, the two parallel bars A A being provided with numerous adjustable sliding rods, D D D, actuated by delicate rubber springs d d d. YVhen these sliding rods D D D are all pushed back, as shown by the one on the left-hand side of Fig. 2, and

held in this position by the clamping-bats C C, the device is readyto be placed over the bust, when, by releasing the sliding-rods D D D,they will each respectively be thrown by the action ofthe springs d d against the bust or figure, when and where they are to be held in their respect-ive positions, as seen in Fig. 1, bymeans of the clamping-bars C C. The device is then removed from the ligure and laid on asheet of paper and aline drawn from point to point of the several sliding rods D D D, which will represent the form and size of whatever portion of the bust to which it may be so applied.

A more minute and particular description and operation ofthe several parts are as follows: For conveniencethe bars A A, which hold and in which slide the rods D D D, we will term holding bars 5 the bars C C which bind and hold in fixed position the several slidingrods D D D, the clamping-bars," the sliding rodsD D D the "formative-rods,-

g the springs which actuate the rods D D D the actuating-springs,7 and the two adjustable semicircular connecting cross-bars B B the adjustable connectingbars.

The holding-bar A consists of a strip of ,wood (the transverse view of which is, best shown in Fig. 5) provided with a series of transverse parallel holes, and having the central portion of one side of the strip cut away in the form of a gutter down to about the center of the holes, as shown by a in Figs. 2 and 5. Over and parallel with this gutter a is mounted the clamping-bar O, which is united to the holding-bar A and acts upon the formative rods D D D by means of the metallic hinges c c c c". The longitudinal View of the clamping-bar .C is best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The clamping-bar C is provided (on the face that comes in contact with the formative rods D D D) with a yielding or adjustable face by means of a rubber strip, C', let into the clampingsbar, to make sure of its coming in contact with and binding and hold# ing in their respective positions each and every of the formative rods D D D, which are round sticks freely sliding in the holes in bar A. The clamping-bar C is operated to hold the formative rods D D D inposition by means of the thumb-screw a', which works in a fixed nut, a, secured to one end of the holding-bar A, which, when it (the screwa') is turned up, presses the clamping-bar C against the formative rods D D D. \Vhen it is required to release the formative rods and allow the actuating-springs d d d to act upon and adjust them, it is only necessary to turn back the thumbscrew a', when the back-acting spiral spring c, Figs. 3 and Lf, will draw the clamping-bar C back against the end of the, screw a, which partially lifts the clamping-bar away from the holding-bar and liberates the formative rods and allows them to be controlled by the actuatingsprings d d d. These actuating springs are light rubber straps or loops, one end of each being fastened to the inner edge of the holding-bar A and the other end to the outer end of-the formative rods D D D by passing through an opening or hole in the end ol' the rods. (Seen in Fig. G.) rlhe two holdingbars and what belongs to them are made in every way alike, and are united and held opposite to each other by the adjustable conneetingbars B B. These connecting-bars B B arejoined to the holding-bars at each end by a simple bolt and nut, which, if desired, forms a partially-swiveling joint, in order to allow one of the holding-bars to stand higher or lower than the other when, by doing so, a better adjustment of the device to the ligure can be made. The connecting-bars D B are made llat and thin, to render them light, yet stift', and semieireular, so as to pass around the ligure o1' form of the person, and they are made each in two parts and held together by two thumbvscrews, b b', and one part is provided with a longitudinal slot, b, through which pass the thumb-screws b b. The object of this adjustable joint is to render the eonformator adaptable to persons of 'dilferent forms and sizes. By lengthening one or the other of these connecting-bars more than the other a tapering space is formed between the inner ends ofthe formative rods D D D. 3y shortening both of them to their minimum length the size and form of even the leg of a person can be taken, and by extending them to their maximum length the form and sizeof the largest person can be taken.

The object of the graduated scale marked on the slotted portion of each of the two connecting-bars is to note the respective position of each of the two parts, so, if it be necessary to loosen the joints in order to remove the device from the person, they can be, after being removed, again placed in the same position, in order to restore the same position ofthe formative rods D D D.

Having thus described the construction and function of the several parts of my invention, its operation is brieliy described as follows: Having crowded back the formative rods D D D of both sides of the device by plaeingftheir inner ends on the edge of a ta ble or counter into the position shown by the v left-hand side of Fig. 2, the thumbscrews a a are then to be turned up sufficiently tight to hold the formative rods in this position against the force of the actuating-springs d d d. Then setor spread the eonneeting-barsBB sufficiently far apart or extended as to embrace the bust or ligure between the two sides of the device. Place it over the ligure, so as to embrace any desired part or lines of the bust between the two sides of the device. Then turn back the thumbscrews cc,wliieh will release the formative rods D D D and allow the actuating-springs d d d to throw the severalformative rods gently against the figure or form of the person. Then turn up the thumb-screws a c again sufficiently tight to bind and hold each and all of the'lormative rods in their respective positions. Thedevice is now removed from the person, and being laid down on a large shectof paper, a line is drawn from point to point ofthe inner ends ofthe formative rods D D l), which will give the exact l'orm and full size of the bust where the device is applied. lhe conformator in this way can be applied and employed to take any vertical or transverse line of the human ligure. \Vl1en only a single line of the bustkeither vert-ical or` transverse, is desired to be taken without the opposite or counter line, either of theholding-bars A A can be detached from the con- 'nectingbars B B, and employed independently of the rest of the apparatus by simply crowding it against the bust,so as to allow the forma tive rods to rest on the line of theform desired to be taken, and turning up the thumb-screw a', and from the points of the formative rods scribe the needed line on paper, as above set forth.

Having thus described the object', construc tion, and operation of my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. ln a garment-conformater, the combination of the holding-bar A, formative rods l) D l), actuating-springs d d Land clampingbar C, substantially as aud for the purposes described.

2. ln a garment-conformator, the combination of the holding-bar A, formative rods D D D, actuating-springs -d Z (l, clamping bar C, having one yielding cushion-face, C', thumb screw a', and back-acting spring c'", substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a garment-conformater, the combination of the holding-bars A A, formative rods l) D D, actuating-springs (l d d, clamping-bar C C, having the cushions C C', thumbscrews a' c', counteracti11g-springscc, and adjustable connecting-bars B 5, substantially iu themanner and for the purposes described.

FRANK G. JOHNSON. Witnesses:

Giras. RUsToN. CLARENCE A. Simms.

IIO 

